Conventional anti-counterfeiting solutions, such as holograms, ultraviolet (UV) ink and radio frequency identification (RFID) are proving ineffective at thwarting counterfeiters. Counterfeiting of material goods is accelerating and now affects a variety of material goods including medicines, foods, semiconductors, retail goods, parts, and components used in the manufacture of military equipment, automobiles, etc. Most conventional anti-counterfeiting solutions, such as holograms, have themselves been counterfeited. The criminal producing the counterfeit product simply applies the counterfeit holograms to fully mimic the appearance of the authentic product.
In addition, conventional anti-counterfeiting solutions that rely on restricted knowledge as part of the security profile also have limitations. These solutions require specialized tools for inspection and authentication and can be compromised either by gaining access to the tool or compromising any individual with access to the tool.